Number 2 October 2013 COMMANDER’S MESSAGE · Yonkers, NY 10710-1102 . e-mail: [email protected] . 914-337-4026 . USPS . District 2 . Page 2 D/2 NEWS . ... or an artificial lure

D/2 NEWS

Volume 65 Number 2 October 2013

http://www.usps.org/localusps/d2/

COMMANDER’S MESSAGE D/C Howard A. Sklar, AP

Hello, and I hope all are well and enjoying the beginning of the fall. Fall can be a great time for boat-

ers. Rivers, lakes, and major bodies of water surrounding our District have less traffic, and for all you

sail-boaters, the winds seem to be stronger and more favorable for cruising and racing. As for me, fall

is my favorite time to fish. In fact, some of the best fishing takes place as the summer ends and the fall

begins. Black fish (Tautog) is one of the better tasting fish around and creates a great battle between

the fisherman and his quest. The fish is normally caught in wrecks or rocky bottom areas. When

hooked, the Black Fish or Tog, as we fisherman call them, dive into the rocks or a wreck and try to break your line. For

each Tog you catch, you will have to expect to lose at least two or three rigs and countless bait. The preferred bait for

this fish is Fiddler, Asian, or Green crabs. A truly exciting experience can be had Black fishing and great eating as well.

Fall is the time when our Commanders recognize our accomplishments, deeds and doings by bestowing upon us a merit

mark. Merit marks are an important part of USPS as it is the only real thank you one receives for their commitment,

dedication to duty, and service to the organization. So as Commanders, let us not forget that the deadline for merit mark

submission is upon us.

Fall is the time for our Squadrons’ Educational programs to begin to gear up and get a full head of steam. While each

Squadron will conduct or will plan to hold an ABC3 6 week course or one day 8 hour class, what about you? When was

the last time you went down to the public course and lent a hand serving as a proctor, or took an advanced or elective

course or attended one of the many seminars USPS has to offer? Remember back when you first joined USPS? More

than likely, one of your key motives was to increase your boating knowledge and acumen. Let’s not forget that if your

Squadron is not giving that course or seminar you want to attend, you can always look at a neighboring Squadron, as

they just might have what you want.

Fall is the time; sadly, when we think of summers, past adventures and begin the process of putting our boats up for the

winter. There are many Squadrons hosting meetings on decommissioning and winter storage. These meetings are not

only informative but give you the chance to touch base and reconnect with those Squadron members you did not see

over the spring and summer. My suggestion for you is that you take a look at your Squadron’s schedules and make

plans to attend that next meeting and enjoy the camaraderie of your fellow members.

So remember, fall can be a very positive time of year, if you make it so.

Respectfully submitted.

************************************************************************************************

Photos from D/2 Summer Council, 21 September, Fishkill, NY.

D/2 Bridge Members D/C Howard A. Sklar, AP

Submitted by P/D/C Susan P. Ryan, JN.

‘The Greenwich Sail & Power Squadron gets

a Sign’

Actually two signs – One near the Old Green-

wich Yacht Club at Greenwich Point and the other on Grass Island in

the center of town. Thanks to the Town of Greenwich First Selectman

Peter Tesei, the Squadron has been able to post signs for the first time

ever. They promote the Squadron’s safe boating course, along with

its Web site and phone number. The photo shows Squadron member

Virgina Lucey, S, (left) with fellow kayaker Frances Schneider at

Greenwich Point.

********************************************************

Commander Cdr Howard A. Sklar, AP 372 Kneeland Avenue Yonkers, NY 10704-2713 e-mail: [email protected] 914-965-4684

Executive Officer D/Lt/C Denise A. Terry, AP 217 Calderwood Road Amsterdam, NY 12010 e-mail: [email protected] 518-842-1102

Educational Officer D/Lt/C Carl E. Filios, JN 75 Glory Drive Pittsfield, MA 01201 e-mail: [email protected] 413-442-8984

Administrative Officer D/Lt/C Gino C. Bottino, AP 98 Gun Club Road Stamford, CT 06903-1034 e-mail: [email protected]

Secretary D/Lt/C Virginia Schmidt-Gedney, AP 11 Birch Street Danbury, CT 06810-5721 e-mail: [email protected] 203-743-9046

Treasurer D/Lt/C John W. Steger, JN 342 Heathcote Road Scarsdale, NY 10583 e-mail: [email protected] 914-472-5520

Asst. Educational Officer D/1st/Lt Karl M. Wagner, AP 35 Ridgecrest Road Stamford, CT 06903-3121 e-mail: [email protected] 203-274-5550

Editor Lt Melvin Goldstein, AP 64 Cherrywood Road Yonkers, NY 10710-1102 e-mail: [email protected] 914-337-4026

USPS

District 2

Page 2 D/2 NEWS OCT 2013

The Editor reserves the right to edit articles as needed. The views expressed in

this publication are not necessarily the views of District 2, The United States

Power Squadrons or its editor.

Executive Officer: D/Lt/C Denise A. Terry, AP

Fall is upon us once again and it is time to button up the hatches and stow gear in a

safe place. Proper winterization is also key.

This also means that the District 2 Fall Conference is coming soon. Please make sure

that you have had your members sign the Battle Ribbons that each Commander was given and bring them to

the Conference to be attached to the USPS 100th Anniversary Flag. The District flags will then be presented

to the members at the Annual Meeting in Jacksonville, FL 26 January – 2 February, 2014. If you haven’t

already sent in your reservation form for the Fall Conference, you need to do so now. The hotel room

deadline has passed but there may be rooms still available.

I attended the Governing Board Meeting in San Antonio, TX and represented the District on behalf of D/C

Howard Sklar, AP in early September. I will also be attending the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian

Sail and Power Squadrons in Toronto, Ontario the end of October. They are celebrating their 75th

Anniversary this year.

District 2 is also beginning an Anniversary celebration this year of 75 years strong. You can help kick off

this year long celebration by attending the Fall Conference.

The Spring Conference will be returning to the Holiday Inn of Saratoga Springs 11-13 April, 2014. Look for

the Save the Date flyer in this issue and on the D/2 website under the confirmed District meetings tab. I

hope to have a registration form available at the Fall Conference.

See you soon in beautiful Williamstown, MA!

***************************************************************************************


From the 2013 Norwalk Boat Show, submitted by P/D/C Susan P. Ryan, JN


Submitted by D/Lt/C Virginia Schmidt-Gedney, AP

From DEEP Inland Fisheries:

Stocking Update—DEEP (Connecticut Department of Energy and Environ-

mental Protection) stocked another 600 Atlantic salmon this week. These fish

were released into the Shetucket River (300 salmon) and the upper (150 salmon)

and lower (150 salmon) sections of the Naugatuck River.

These stockings bring the total number of salmon stocked so far this fall to approximately 1,200 fish with

Crystal Lake (100 salmon), Mount Tom Pond (100 salmon), the upper Naugatuck River (250 salmon), lower

Naugatuck River (250 salmon) and Shetucket River (500 salmon), all stocked at least once. (See below for a

summary of fishing regulations for Atlantic salmon.) The group of Atlantic salmon being released this week

for the fishery range in weight from 2-6 pounds each.

Regulations for Atlantic salmon on the Shetucket and Naugatuck Rivers. In the Naugatuck, Housa-

tonic and Shetucket Rivers from October 1 through November 30, angling for Atlantic salmon is re-

stricted to catch-and-release only. From December 1, 2013, through March 31, 2014, the daily creel

limit for Atlantic salmon will be one. During the open season in the rivers, the legal method for taking

Atlantic salmon is limited to angling using a single fly, or an artificial lure with a single free swinging

hook and no additional weight can be added to the line above the fly or lure. Also, from October 1st

through March 31st, fishing for other species in the designated Atlantic Salmon “Broodstock” Areas is

restricted to the gear legal for Atlantic salmon.

On the Shetucket River, anglers can fish for salmon downstream from the Scotland Dam (Windham) to

the Water Street Bridge in Norwich (the first bridge upstream of Norwich Harbor). The salmon are stocked

into one designated Atlantic Salmon “Broodstock Area”, from the Scotland Dam to the Occum Dam.

Anglers are allowed to fish for salmon in the Naugatuck River from the confluence of the East and West

Branches (Torrington) downstream to the Housatonic River (Derby). Anglers may also fish for Atlantic

salmon in the Housatonic River downstream of Derby Dam. The salmon are typically stocked into two des-

ignated Atlantic Salmon Broodstock Areas on the Naugatuck River, the “Campville Section” of the upper

Naugatuck River from Route 118 downstream to the Thomaston Flood Control Dam (Litchfield-

Thomaston) and the “Beacon Falls Section” of the lower Naugatuck, from Prospect Street (Naugatuck)

downstream to Pines Bridge Road (Route 42 bridge, Beacon Falls). From October 1st through March 31st,

fishing for other species in these designated Atlantic Salmon Broodstock Areas is restricted to the gear le-

gal for Atlantic salmon.

The regulations for Atlantic salmon released into lakes and ponds are different from the regulations for

salmon on the Naugatuck and Shetucket Rivers. In each lake, the regulations for methods, seasons and

minimum lengths for salmon will be the same as for trout in that specific water body but the daily

creel limit will be one salmon per day. (Please refer to the 2013 CT Angler’s Guide for trout regulations).


Administrative Officer: D/Lt/C Gino C. Bottino, AP

It is just amazing how fast this season of boating has gone!

As we all know during the boating season we seem to take a hiatus from active USPS duties, so

welcome back to active USPS activities! This is a function of our summer season and the rela-

tive short time we have to boat, while we seem to have a lot more time when it’s colder to do

other activities like teaching. Of course during the summer is the perfect time to have rendezvous and on the water meet-

ings, which many of our Squadrons did. This presence out on the water helps all of us, and we should be flying our flags

proudly. We did have Squadrons send out notices to other regional Squadrons but there is yet to have any coordinated

communication system which I want to try and work on this winter.

Membership:

Likewise we should inform other Squadrons of our off-season events including our Change of Watches, and invite all

USPS members to attend, that want to!

This boat show season has started off well with great interaction with boaters. Having the electronic Fire Fighting device

was a great hit at the Norwalk show, getting us a constant stream of activity (our neighbors the USCGAUX was quite jeal-

ous). I would encourage any other event to utilize this resource.

We did do a District ad in the CT Boating guide again for next year and P/DC Susan P. Ryan, JN, is again coordinating

this effort .

Our membership chair P/D/C Robert Shivokevich, SN, will provide us an update and insights to this year’s numbers.

Member Involvement:

We have put out several surveys that have been reported on. We will continue to do these to increase membership involve-

ment.

Member benefits:

Continue to increase every year. Take some time to look at them on the Web and see what may apply to you and others in

your Squadrons.

Meetings and Programs:

Have been streamlined by our current Commander. This leaves more time for face to face interaction, less money needed

to be spent, and less time listening to matters that can be posted on the web and reviewed at a later date. Kudo’s!

Operations Training:

A new OT manual has been made. I will ask P/C Frank Palmieri, JN, to write a report to us on the changes.

Sea Scout Liaison: We were active in supporting the local sea scouts and they are well served.

USCG AUX Liaison: The MOU between our two organizations was revisited and re-ratified again

.

Port Captains During the winter I plan on contacting all Squadrons with a Port to Identify the Port Captain.

I welcome any and all comments and questions you may have.


Submitted by D/Lt/C Virginia Schmidt-Gedney, AP

Long Island Interesting Facts:

Mastic was the home of William Floyd, one of the signers of the Declaration of

Independence.

Long Island’s first two settlements were Southhold and Southhampton, in 1640.

Hollow Ranch in Montauk is the site of the oldest cattle ranch in America, built in 1658, and birthplace of

the American cowboy.

The lighthouse at Montauk became New York’s first coastal beacon in 1796.

The first radio transmission, by wireless inventor Guglielmo Marconi, was in 1901 on Fire Island Avenue

in Babylon.

In 1927, Charles Lindburgh took off from Roosevelt Field, as he embarked on the first non-stop solo flight

across the Atlantic Ocean.

America’s first supermarket, King Kullen, started on Long Island in 1930.

Levittown, the first suburbia in the U.S., was built on Long Island in 1947.

The Lunar Module which landed men on the moon in 1969, was built on Long Island by the Grumman

Corp.

Long Island is the largest island among the 48 contiguous states.

The only working water mill and windmill in the U.S., are located in the Long Island community of Water

Mill.

Richard Nixon’s deceased dog Checkers, is buried at Long Island’s Bide-a-Wee Pet Cemetery.

When the Brooklyn Bridge was completed in 1883, it became the first land-transport route between Long

Island and mainland U.S.A. Before that, the only way to travel between the two was by boat.

Long Island was sculpted by melting glaciers, which is why there is a clear difference between the hilly

North Shore and the flat South Shore.

Long Island is the most populated island in the United States and the 17th most populated island in the

world. Long Island in more populated that the entire countries of Jamaica and Ireland.

The largest industrial park in the U.S. is located on Long Island—The Hauppauge Industrial Park, which

houses 1,300 companies and employs more than 55,000 people.

More 7-Eleven coffee is purchased on Long Island than all of California.

Educational Officer: D/Lt/C Carl E. Filios, JN

Now that summer’s over, it’s time to think back to the fun we had boating and deal

with the realities of winterization and storage. While you’re working on that, start

thinking about how to spend the extra free time you have available. Is there a course

or seminar you’ve been thinking about? Talk with your SEO about the courses

planned for the fall and winter seasons. If your Squadron isn’t equipped to offer what

you’d like to take, have your SEO contact a neighboring Squadron to see if they’re planning on offering the

course. Education is only part of the reasons we take courses. Other considerations include the camaraderie

and the opportunity to make new friends. If you have boating friends that aren’t USPS members, invite them

to Squadron activities.

It won’t be long until we’re into the holiday season, followed closely by Squadron Changes of Watch, which

offer opportunities for those of us on the District Bridge to travel all over the District visiting Squadrons. It’s a

great way to make new friends and put faces to names.

I attended the Governing Board meeting in San Antonio in September. I got to spend one day looking around

San Antonio, and then four days in meetings. It was an opportunity to meet my counterparts from the other

Districts in USPS. I’ve gotten to know some of them over the past three years, and there are always new faces

as District Educational Officer terms expire and new people assume the position. It’s an opportunity to hear

what’s coming down the road (water) in terms of course updates and new offerings. If you have the opportu-

nity, consider attending the USPS Annual Meeting in Jacksonville at the end of January. It’s the 100th anniver-

sary celebration and will be marked with special activities. Some details are already available on the USPS

web site. Imagine what the parade of District flags will look like as they all have the Squadron battle ribbons

attached. If you haven’t signed your Squadron’s ribbon yet, do it before the Fall Conference in Williamstown

in early November.

Don’t forget that D/1st/Lt Karl Wagner, AP, and I, are available to answer any of your education-related ques-

tions, and I hope to see you and your Squadron’s entry in the teaching aid competition in Williamstown.

*****************************************************************************************

More photos from D/2 Summer Council.

D/Lt/C Virginia Schmidt-Gedney, AP D/Lt/C Gino Bottino, AP P/D/C Harrison Valante, SN

Lt/C David Wilkinson, S & Lt/C Kathrine Somogyi, APP/D/Lt/C Edward Weber, SN

P/D/Lt/C Robert Kelly. SN



,

Legislative Officer: Lt Melvin Goldstein, AP

As of this writing, the Governor of New York State has signed legislation which will require a

phase in of mandatory boater’s safety education, commencing May 2014, for all 18 years of age

and younger. This covers those who drive mechanically propelled vessels (power boats.)

In the meantime, New York Squadrons hope to attract these new potential students to take the

USPS ABC3 Course, and become members.

******************************************************************************

D/Lt/C Denise A. Terry, AP P/D/C Jeffrey C. Gerwig, AP P/D/Lt/C Joseph A. Lynch, AP

Cdr Paul K. Okura, P & R/C Susan L. Darcy, JN Cdr Peter G. Herman, JN

P/D/C Susan P. Ryan, JN

P/D/C Robert Shivokevich, SN & D/Lt/C John W. Steger, JN P/C Robert J. Terry, P

Lt/C Andy Papademetriou, P

Council photos courtesy of

Lt Melvin Goldstein, AP.

Still more photos from the

D/2 Summer Council.




Submitted by P/D/C Susan P. Ryan, JN

THE PATCH, A DIGITAL NEWSPAPER

My young tennis partners were always saying ‘we saw it on the Patch’ about some news before I’d read it in our

local paper. So I realized how popular it was with the young families in the area. Spurred by DPRO Cdr Paul

Okura, P, to pursue social media, I looked into this and posted a Squadron course with photo. The editor soon

approached me to write a blog on boating and have begun to write short articles for this. During the dark days

of Sandy we had no newspapers, but the Patch came into my smartphone daily and helped enormously to keep

us in touch.

Patch was founded by Tim Armstrong current CEO of AOL, in 2007 after he realized a dearth of online informa-

tion on his hometown of Greenwich, CT. There are over 1,000 communities throughout the U.S. that have these

sites; visit WWW.PATCH.COM to enter your zip code and find yours. I know that some Squadrons are already

using it as part of their PR programs, and I recommend it highly to post comments, events, photos, your latest

article – hopefully always with the USPS name and logo included – as a quick and easy way to get the word out

to a wide number of people completely free.

Patch reports on everything you need to know about your town, from local government to school news to what

to do with your family this weekend. It makes it easy for you and your neighbors to connect and post your news

and events too. All of this, plus comprehensive listings of local restaurants and shops, home improvement ser-

vices and businesses, events, and more – all in one place – makes it an informative and interesting community

read.

******************************************************************************************

Still some more photos from the D/2 Summer Council.


D/Lt/C Denise A. Terry, AP,

D/Lt/C Carl E. Filios, JN &

D/1st/Lt Karl M. Wagner, AP

That’s how we use the GPS.

P/C Clarkson Farnsworth, JN, R/C George R. Hallenbeck, AP

& Cdr Peter G. Herman, JN

P/D/C Jeffrey C. Gerwin, AP,

P/D/C Robert Shivokevich, SN &

P/C Joseph A. Lynch, AP

P/C Virginia P. Moore, P P/D/C Suzanne P. Nentwich, AP R/C George R. Hallenbeck, AP

http://WWW.PATCH.COM

D/2 NEWS c/o Lt/Cdr Virginia P. Moore, P 3 Undercliff Street Yonkers, NY 10705-1354

Address Correction Requested

D/2 Planning CALENDAR 2013 3 November, Daylight Savings Time Ends.

5 November, election Day.

11 November, Veterans Day.

28 November, Thanksgiving Day.

28-November-5 December, Hanukkah*

25 December, Christmas Day.

26 December, Kwanzaa Begins.

2014 1 January, New Years Day.

20 January, Martin Luther King Day.

29 January—2 February, Annual Meeting, Jacksonville, FL.

17 February, President’s Day.

5 March, Ash Wednesday.

9 March, Daylight Saving Time Begins.

17 March, St. Patrick’s Day.

13 April, Palm Sunday.

15-22 April, Passover*

18 April, Good Friday

20 April, Easter Sunday.

*Note: All Jewish holidays begin the evening before the date given.

(NOTE: PLEASE ADVISE THE EDITOR IF YOU NO LONGER WISH TO RECEIVE A HARD COPY

OF THE D/2 NEWS.)

Documents

Number 2 October 2013 COMMANDER’S MESSAGE · Yonkers, NY 10710-1102 . e-mail: [email protected] . 914-337-4026 . USPS . District 2 . Page 2 D/2 NEWS . ... or an artificial lure